Jayalalithaa the former Chief Minister’s body, draped in the national flag in a glass casket, was placed on a platform at a public hall for viewing through the day, drawing a humongous audience. Strewn with flowers, the casket was moved in an open-top army truck to Chennai’s famous Marina Beach, about three kilometres away.Sasikala and Jayas foster son Sudhakaran have performed the last rites here at the Marina beach.
As the hearse arrived at Marina Beach, women broke into wails, some of them beating their chests in despair. Many said they had walked between seven and ten kilometres for one last glimpse of the leader referred to as Amma or mother. Thousands of policemen stood guard to ensure against the grief from morphing into violence.
Ms Jayalalithaa, who was 68, was given the guard of honour and paid tribute with full state honours. She has been buried in a sandalwood coffin near a memorial to her mentor, MG Ramachandran, who founded their party, the AIADMK.
The pair starred together in several blockbuster Tamil films before shifting to politics. Ms Jayalalithaa’s burial, rather than a cremation, is seen as in keeping with the Dravidian movement, rationalist and pivoted against Brahmin rituals.
There will be no media access for the final rites at Marina Beach. VVIPs including Rahul Gandhi and several Chief Ministers have arrived at the location.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects to Ms Jayalalithaa, and was seen offering condolences to Sasikala Natarajan, her closest aide, who has stood next to the politician’s body all day.
